When you think of Newfoundland what comes to mind? Probably kitchen parties, screech and cod-kissing. Maybe offshore oil revenues. Anyway you slice it post-punk is not usually high on the list.
Well in to fill that obviously gaping void are St. John's boys Hospital Grade with their album Secrets and Sawdust.
Coming from a backdrop of a dying industrial town, the band sling lyrics that champion themes of working class struggle. The narrative told in "Walking Papers, Too" take place on a daily basis in dozens upon dozens of towns across the North American Rust Belt.
Musically, the band straddles the line between angular aggressive Fugazi post-punk (the guitars on "The Sea Will Punish Us" are almost classic Fugazi) and more polished Superchunk power pop ("If I Said Helvetica").
Occassionally there is a song that misses the mark as either atonal or choppy ("co_pachuuh_coah").
It's worth your while to give Hospital Grade some of your time. Just don't expect Great Big Sea.
Hospital Grade play the Pepperjack Cafe in Hamilton on May 8th.
Best tracks: "If I Said Helvetica", "Speaking of Bent Rails"
Track listing for Secrets and Sawdust:
- The Sea Will Punish Us
- co_pachuuh_coah
- If I Said Helvetica
- Empty Ambulance Bay
- Walking Papers, Too
- Speaking of Bent Rails
- Our House Is Still Out There
- An Essay In Your Lungs
- Ten Year Ring
- I Am Already De Niro
- Soviet
6.0
3 praise/complaints:
There is actually a 1,710 km gap between Saint John, New Brunswick (where Hospital Grade are from), and St. John's Newfoundland (where they are not), and last I checked St. John's was a fishing town, not industrial, but nice review anyway.
Gee, I should do my own blog of review reviews!
Sorry. I read I bio piece that most definitely had the ' in the city's name.
Nonetheless my apologies!
no worries, if anything it'll generate more discussion
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